Effectiveness of web-based guided self-help cognitive behavioral therapy-enhanced for binge-eating disorder: An...

Area of Science:

• Psychiatry
• Digital Health
• Behavioral Therapy

Background:

• Web-based guided self-help cognitive behavioral therapy-enhanced (CBT-E) is a digitalized intervention for binge-eating disorder (BED).
• Previous randomized-controlled trials (RCTs) demonstrated its effectiveness under controlled conditions.
• Its effectiveness in real-world clinical settings remains largely unexplored.

Purpose of the Study:

• To examine the post-intervention effectiveness of web-based guided self-help CBT-E for BED in real-world clinical settings.
• To assess reductions in binge-eating episodes and evaluate full recovery rates.
• To analyze improvements in psychosocial functioning and general psychopathology.

Main Methods:

• A cohort-design study was employed, utilizing an intention-to-treat (ITT) analysis.
• 278 patients with BED were assessed pre- and post-intervention.
• Primary outcome: reduction in binge-eating episodes; Secondary outcomes: full recovery, psychosocial functioning, and general psychopathology.

Main Results:

• Binge-eating episodes decreased significantly, from an average of 16 per 4 weeks to 5 per 4 weeks.
• 30% of patients achieved abstinence from binge eating, and 28% reported full recovery.
• Large effect sizes (Cohen's d ≥ 1.0) were observed for all outcome measures, with no significant differences between ITT and completers samples.

Conclusions:

• Web-based guided self-help CBT-E demonstrates significant short-term improvements for patients with BED in real-world settings.
• The effectiveness appears comparable to that observed in RCTs, though direct comparisons require caution.
• Further research with longer-term follow-up is needed to confirm the persistence of treatment benefits.